So I'm weighing some options, and thinking about doing something that I would have previously thought was a bad idea. I own all the consoles, and I have owned them all more or less on launch day or shortly thereafter. That being said I don't play them all, I simply own them all. I'm sure it is no shock that I play my PS3 the most since I'm a rabid Sony tool, and the fact remains that I don't play my other consoles, and most of the time I sit around wishing I had a gaming PC. I'd never advocate selling your systems to someone else, but I'm about to do it. The fact is that I'm a PC gamer at heart. I was raised on gaming PCs, not Nintendo and Sega's consoles.

I like the 360, but I just don't play it. Really, if you had a 360 and you were considering buying a PS3 to compliment it, I'd tell you it was a bad idea. The two consoles are so similar that owning both has become redundant for me. I've got no bad blood for Microsoft or anything weird like that. When my last 360 died, I was already considering buying an Elite to replace it, and so instead of sending my dead 360 to MS to get it fixed, I just gave it to my best friend and made it his problem. (I'd had enough of talking to MS customer service folks at that point)To make a long story short, he got it fixed and I'll always be able to borrow his/my 360 back whenever a game like Fable 2 comes out, so I don't think I will miss my Elite one bit. I thought I'd play a lot more online with you fine GGD folks back when Halo 3 came out, but I'm just not an online gamer at heart.

As for the Wii, it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sure I just royally offended GamingGeek if he is still lurking around here. My apologies. Graphically it just isn't there, and as for controls, I much prefer a traditional pad or a keyboard and mouse over the Wiimote. It is a personal preference of course. I'm not even trying to suggest that the Wiimote is a bad idea. I'd never intentionally badmouth the system or criticize a Nintendo fan for loving the Wii. Clearly there is a lot to love. It just isn't for me.

Forgive this long winded blog, I'm partly looking for advice on whether or not to go ahead with it, and partly just trying to explain why I'm pondering doing it before hand so that people don't think I'm just a stupid Sony fanboy when I tell them I sold my other consoles. For a while I thought it was important to own everything to avoid seeming like some narrow minded person who only enjoys one small segment of the vast greatness in the gaming industry. The fact is that I don't have the time for all three consoles, and the more I sit back and think about it, the more I realize that I'm dying to get back into PC gaming. Most of the games I'm looking forward to this year are PC games, and I still haven't played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Crysis.

I'd like to make a little note about my previous reviews, or rather the scores I've given them. Looking back on reviews I've done before this, I usually rate stuff about .5 higher than I should in retrospect. I tend to review games right after the credits roll, and well before the excitement of finishing the game wears off and I start to view the game in a more critical light. I've beaten MGS4 twice now, and am on the verge of beating it a third time. I feel like I've waited the right amount of time and have really let the game stew in my brain long enough for me to review it without hyping it too much, or going overboard slinging adjectives around left and right...

...so without further ado, I present to you, my review of the best goddamned game to ever grace the face of the earth:

I believe Dvader said it best about Metal Gear back in May when he said,"GAJUGAGDWDVVF#UUSHJS)_(WDU)#(J!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Words to live by. Words. To. Live. By.

We've been waiting for MGS4 since November of 2004 when we got the chance to play MGS3. That game was my favorite on the PS2, and I have a feeling that I've found my favorite on the PS3. MGS4 combines 'solid' gameplay with incredible presentation in a way that isn't matched by any other series, and surpasses the previous MGS games. Kojima might get a little too long winded with his cutscenes, but this is the end of Snake's story. There are so many loose ends to tie up, and so many subplots to resolve, that excess can be forgiven. This game is designed to be a fitting sendoff to one of gaming's greatest heroes and it delivers.

MGS4 doesn't leave you hanging

Gameplay-

Metal Gear Solid 4 is divided up into 5 Act's. This is a brilliant way to pace the game. Each Act presents new types of gameplay, new areas to explore, new enemies to fight and new weapons with which to defeat said enemies. I won't go into any detail regarding later parts of the game as the game presents much more than the traditional MGS 'tactical espionage action' that we've become accustomed to. The first two Acts of the game have a similar formula in that you are infiltrating a war zone in each one, and you can choose to help the local militias in their fight against Liquid Ocelot's PMCs or you can go it alone.

Helping the local militia here will open up new possibilities.

The game changes dramatically depending on how you choose to handle these militias. Leave them alone and, at best they will treat you with suspicion, and at worst they will regard you as an enemy. The brilliance of Metal Gear's game design is that it allows for so much freedom in how you play the game, especially once you've beaten the game once, as your items and weapons carry over to each new playthrough. Pure stealth is always an option, and it is a rewarding way to play through most of the game, although there are certain 'on rails' sections that make it unnecessarily difficult if you are trying to do a 'no kills, no alerts' run. Thankfully the game borrows from MGS3 in that it no longer punishes you if you want to make use of the game's stunning array of weaponry. The games before MGS3 were very narrowly focused on stealth, and while they are excellent games in their own right, the MGS formula is a lot more fun when you can pull out some over the top weapons and dispose of your enemies in new and different ways.

Bored of all that sneaking? Why not take some time out to smell the roses, and blow **** up?

Regarding the weaponry, there are nearly 70 weapons in the game, and most of them are customizable thanks to a new character in the game, Drebin. Drebin is a gun launderer/arms dealer who sells you weapons, ammo and parts that allow you to customize your weapons. Tired of your plain old M4? Why not add a grenade launcher or shotgun to the underside of the barrel? The weapons in MGS4 are fantastic, and having Drebin around only makes them better.

There are some stunning set pieces in which you battle the bosses in this game. The bosses aren't as challenging or unique as previous bosses in the series, but they are certainly a lot of fun. My favorite of which takes place on a snowy battlefield.

I heart you too.

Overall, I think Kojima made a fantastic decision to split the game into Acts, as it allows the game to be bitten off in chunks... and each of those chunks presents something new and fantastic. For me, the freedom in the gameplay where you can choose to play as stealthily or as combative as you like really adds to the replayability, couple that with each Act providing different gameplay, and you can see why I'm already on my third playthrough of the game. Quite simply, MGS4's gameplay is better than any previous game in the series. It is nothing short of addictive.

Graphics, Performance and Sound-

MGS4 is a stunner when it comes to visuals

This game is gorgeous, pure and simple. Some of the textures are a little low res, and some of the shadows flicker, but those are mere nitpicks. When you take into account the scale of the areas, and the number of things happening at once, especially later in the game, MGS4's graphics are phenomenal.

The framerate is unstable, but from what I've seen in my playthrough, that simply means that there are moments when it runs a higher framerate. I never saw it drop to unacceptable levels, but it does run higher in smaller areas.

The only real negative that I can find in this department is that the game has installs placed throughout it. In order to get around Sony's mandated cap on how big an install file can be, they've included a small install at the beginning of each act that replaces the previous act's file. After the initial 8 minute install at the start of the game, the act installs take around 2 minutes each. I'm sure that this affects different people different ways, but it didn't hurt my experience with the game. The installs go quick, and they are placed in spots where they don't break the action.

The sound in MGS4 is top notch. I haven't heard it on a surround sound setup yet, but nevertheless the sound is stunning. Each weapon sounds unique, each area has its own ambience, and when you are in the heat of battle there is so much going on aurally that it is beatiful symphony of bullets, music, explosions and screams.

Story and Presentation-

This game excels at storytelling and presentation. The cutscenes, all rendered in real time, are breathtaking, and since they are real time, they don't pull you out of the game. I could go on about the presentation, but really, there isn't much more that I could say other than MGS4's presentation is better than any game that has preceded it. I won't go into story details at all, other than to say that Snake's final mission is an epic story. The twists and turns of the plot are so well done. Even the most minor characters in the series have a part to play in its finale.

The story will be the most controversial part of this game. For some it will be too long, and for others it might be too convoluted. As an MGS fan, I loved it. Bring popcorn for the end, as it is a long one. While I think the game's story is an incredible one, there are a few scenes at the end that could use some editing. The end is satisfying, but altogether I'd say it is too long by about 20 minutes or so. However, for a series that has lasted 20 years, what's another 20 minutes?

Overall- Metal Gear Solid 4 is an incredible experience that shouldn't be missed. It is a game that I have replayed, and a game that I will continue to keep playing. The core gameplay is so solid that you will keep coming back long after you've seen the story. I couldn't ask for a better game.

10 out of 10

So I'm going to finally settle on one avatar/signature combo because I know it drives people nuts that I keep switching, but I honestly can't decide what to go with. I'm going to open it up for a vote. I'd like to settle on one to go with from now on, but it is like the forum version of a tattoo. Once I pick it, I'm stuck with it.

Here's what I've got so far:

I found this painting when I was looking for some God of War concept art for Jbul's avatar and signature. It is a little grotesque, but I love it. I'm putting this first because it is new and different and I really like it.

The second set is from my favorite movie, Fellini's 8 1/2. I love the imagery in this movie and I've always wanted a good 8 1/2 avatar and signature combo.

The third set is a Stanley Kubrick avatar and a 2001: A Space Odyssey sig. Kubrick is my favorite director and I love 2001, so I'd love this one too.

I've also thought about going back to my Toshiro Mifune/Yojimbo set, as I love Samurai movies so much...

That's it for the film ones, I wouldn't mind going back to my 'rrraaarrr' drawing set. I changed the colors though to get rid of the obnoxiously bright yellow I had last time.

...and I like this old combo from back way back, but it really has no significance. Even still, it is fun...

edit: As a bonus, I'd also consider going back to another cIassic...

...any feedback is totally helpful. I'm bad at making decisions, which is why I always switch my avatars so often. I don't really want a video game related one. It was fun to have my Metal Gear set in support of the awesome MGS4, but I'm ready for something new now.

So, I thought I'd try a little experiment with my blog. I'm as big a film nerd as anybody, and my love of movies far exceeds my love of games. A lot of the time I will watch a movie and end up being inspired to think about what sort of game could be made based on the film, or even just concepts in the film. If you guys like this, I will write more.

I recently watched the film Patton on blu-ray and I loved it. This is my new favorite WWII movie, and it something that shouldn't be missed if you enjoy history, or even if you just enjoy film... but that is beside the point. When I watched it, I couldn't help but think that these supposed 'Real Time Strategy' games that we play have got it all wrong. Commanding troops in battle is vastly different in real life when compared to commanding them in a game. Games don't concentrate on the psychological aspects of troop morale, and at least none that I've played seem to put much emphasis on how one particular battle can affect an entire war, when in a real war it might not be as simple as winning or losing, you might defeat your enemy soundly, or you might cause them to retreat. Maybe you narrowly scrape by, and have to regroup after the battle, maybe you command your troops so poorly that you are relieved of command and placed in charge of a smaller unit in someone else's battle. The map in an RTS game is only tied to the game's world because the developers say so. In watching Patton I got to wondering what it would be like to have a game where you command your troops in the downtime in between battles. Conquering the environment and the elements as much as you conquer your enemies.

I think it would be fascinating to have a game where you had to manage your supplies as your troops moved from battle to battle, as well as managing morale. Knowing when to drive your troops forward and when to rest would be as crucial an element as knowing the best way to attack.

You might decide to move slower to preserve morale, knowing full well that the longer it took you to get from point A to point B, the longer the enemy has to prepare. You could take it slow and arrive with fresh troops eager to fight...

...or you could push your troops harder in hopes of catching the enemy off guard.

As for the battlefield itself, I enjoy the seeming omnipotence that you possess in a game like Command and Conquer, but in the real world, you wouldn't have that. Certainly not on a WWII battlefield anyway. You'd have to rely on scouts to gather information on enemy troop movements.

Having surveyed the battlefield in advance of the fight, you will be able to place your troops accordingly.

...and when the time is right, and your proverbial chess pieces are all in place, you can give the order to attack.

The battle scenes in Patton were incredible. This is before the CG days, and everything is so elaboratly staged, it works incredibly well. I never thought I was watching a fake battle during any of the war scenes, but the key thing I noticed is that Patton had a real place on the battlefield. In the traditional RTS game, you are basically a god floating over the battlefield issuing commands as you see fit, and if you lose the battle, you, the commander, are in no danger. The film had these great shots of him surveying the battlefield from behind sandbags, and issuing orders to officers who would radio the different squads on the battlefield to tell them their orders.

Maybe it would be too tedious for some, but I love the idea of a true real time strategy game, where you have to anticipate your enemy's moves and issue orders promptly or face being overrun and slaughtered. There wouldn't be base building or any quick and easy way to introduce new units to the battlefield, but you would be able to radio for air support. In a real battle you aren't going to just set up shop and start building more tanks in the middle of a battle. You go into battle with what you have and you make it work. The real resource management in a Patton RTS game would take place before and after the battle, always making sure you were prepared for your next fight.

I don't know... I suppose this is a little silly, but movies inspire me. I get all sorts of great game ideas from all sorts of different movies. I'd love to make a little mini-series of blogs looking at some of my favorite films, and seeing what different genres of games could learn from them. Thanks for wading through this one, as it is a little long winded.

Tim Russert died of a heart attack today.

Meet The Press has been a part of my Sunday morning for a long time now. Tim Russert was one of the few journalists that I had immense respect for. This is a guy who actually bothered to know what the hell he was talking about. This is a guy who did his best to remain unbiased in the age of 'Fair and Balanced' bull**** networks. I don't know who could replace him, but we need people like Tim Russert in this world. 58 is too young to die.

My friends, I would like to introduce you to the greatest thing I've ever seen:

Italian Spiderman trailer!

Epic Teaser!

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

I will disown you all if you don't watch these. This is epic... the shotgun madness in episode one alone is worth it! I can't stop laughing.